Philosophy Quote by Richard P. Feynman
““Philosophers have said before that one of the fundamental requisites of science is that whenever you set up the same conditions, the same thing must happen. This is simply not true, it is not a fundamental condition of science.””
About This Quote
Source Book: The Meaning of It All by Richard P. Feynman, 1998
Feynman challenges the assumption that science depends on identical conditions always producing identical results, insisting that nature is more subtle.
In simple terms: Science doesn't require strict identical repetition.
Key Takeaway
Question supposedly fundamental rules. Nature is subtle.
Themes
science
philosophy of science
uncertainty
determinism
dogma
Mood
provocative
curious
intellectual
Type
philosophical
academic
argument
When to use this quote
- scientific research
- critical thinking
- questioning assumptions
- explaining quantum mechanics
Key Concepts
determinism vs probability
underdetermination
complexity
fallibilism
Questions to Reflect On
- What assumptions have I called fundamental without testing them?
- How do probability and context shape results?
A Different Perspective
Reproducibility remains a practical norm, even if strict determinism is not essential.
![“I never knew any man who had once tasted the sweetness of experimental knowledge, that ever afterward fasted after ye Vapour garlick and onions of phantasmatical seeming philosophy." [William Petty]” quote by Carl Zimmer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/e5a/carl-zimmer-16331_knowledge_i-never-knew-any-man-who-had-once-tasted_1770.jpg)
